1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to a tube insertion device, and more particularly, to a tube insertion device capable of inserting a long hollow tube into a long line path so as to perform a predetermined operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Representative examples of a tube insertion device capable of inserting a long and hollow tube into a narrow space to perform a predetermined operation may include a micro-surgery instrument for a minimally invasive surgery.
The minimally invasive surgery refers to a surgery for minimizing an incision without opening the abdomen. When the minimally invasive surgery is applied, an incision is so small that a scar or aftereffect may be minimized and a patient may be quickly recovered.
Much research has been conducted on a method for controlling micro-surgery instruments for the minimally invasive surgery, because a predetermined operation such as a surgery must be performed within a narrow space.
FIG. 1 illustrates an active cannular as a conventional micro-surgery instrument, which has been disclosed in US Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2013/0018303.
Referring to FIG. 1, the active cannular is made of a superelastic shape-memory alloy having a curvature, and includes a plurality of overlapping flexible tubes which have different diameters and curvatures. The position of an end effector 125 may be changed according to an input angle based on an interaction between the tubes. When three tubes 110, 115, and 120 are used, the tubes 110, 115, and 120 may have a diameter of 2 mm to 5 mm and a length of 10 cm to 20 cm.
According to the related art, an energy formula is used to estimate an angle at which the energy of the overlapping tubes 110, 115, and 120 is minimized and a final position of the end effector 125.
The three tubes 110, 115, and 120 are divided into an outer flexible tube 110, a middle flexible tube 115, and an inner flexible tube 120, which independently have rotational degrees of freedoms and translational degrees of freedoms. That is, the outer flexible tube 110 has an outer rotational degree of freedom 305 and an outer translational degree of freedom 310, the middle flexible tube 115 has a middle rotational degree of freedom 315 and a middle translational degree of freedom 320, and the inner flexible tube 120 has an inner rotational degree of freedom 325 and an inner translational degree of freedom 330.
Referring to FIG. 1, as the three tubes 110, 115, and 120 are properly rotated and/or translationally moved, the three tubes 110, 115, and 120 may be properly bent to correspond to the shape of a space into which an instrument is to be inserted. Then, the end effector 125 may be located at a desired position.
According to the related art, the end effector 125 may be located at a desired position, but the orientation of the end effector 125 cannot be locally changed at the corresponding position. Thus, the end effector 125 has a limitation in operation.
In general, since the end effector 125 used in the minimally invasive surgery has a very small size, it is very difficult to directly mount a motor for direction change on the end effector 125.